The Muslim Revert

Thursday, 16 September 2010

Today I want to share with you a fantastic idea for all Muslims to earn easy Thawab.

Insha’Allah, I will be popping around to all my local Mosques over the course of the next 10 days to carry this out.

This is all that you need to do…

Go around your house looking for … spare skull caps! (toofee’s!)

Collate all of your skull caps and then when you next go to your mosque put them all into your Mosque’s skull cap baskets.

Then, Insha’Allah, you will receive a small reward at EVERY Jummah when Muslim brothers pray in congregation using a skull cap that YOU have charitably donated to your local mosque.

I am sure that Allah will be ever Grateful and appreciate your generous donation to your mosque.

If you want to participate, but don’t have any spare skull caps lying around the house, then do not despair! Visit your local Islamic shop and buy £10 or £20 worth of skull caps to donate to the mosque. If you cannot afford this amount, even purchasing just 1 skull cap and contributing this to your local mosque will, Insha’Allah, give you abundant rewards from Allah Ta’ala.

Please spread the word of this initiative, I see a lot of skull cap baskets empty in Mosques that I pray in, and I am sure all Imam’s and Muslim Brother’s will appreciate and accept our toofee donations.

Wednesday, 8 September 2010

I recently posted several Nafl prayers to my twitter followers and believe it would be a good idea to post them as a blog so that they are all in one subject.

Insha'Allah, may you get abundant reward from Allah Ta'ala for doing these Nafl prayers;

1) Nafl Salat: Tahiyyatul Masjid

When: This salat is performed when entering the Masjid.

Rakats: 2 Rakats before sitting down.

Benefits: The Prophet (saw) said: When anyone of you enters the masjid, he should not sit until he has offered 2 rakats (of nafl salat).

Few Rules:

1. This salat is not to be performed at Marooh time.2. Do not perform this salat if Fardh Jummah salat is taking place.3. If one visits the masjid several times a day it is sufficient to perform this nafl salat just the once.

2) Nafl salat: Ishraaq.

When: About 15 minutes after sunrise.

Rakats: 2 or 4 rakats.

Benefits:

1. The Prophet (saw) said: He who performs Fajr Salat with the Jummah and remains seated in the same place engaging in Zikr until after sunrise and thereafter performs 2 rakaats Nafl Salat, will obtain the thawaab of one Hajj and one Umrah. (Tirmizi)

2. The person who offers 2 rakats of Ishraaq salat has all his sins forgiven and if he dies the same day, he will be directly admitted to Jannat. (Tibrani)

3. Allah says: O son of Adam say 4 rakats of Ishraaq salat in the early part of the day. I shall help you in accomplishing all your jobs during the rest of the day. (Tirmidhi, Abu Darwood)

3) Nafl Salat: Salaatul Dhuhaa (Chaasht)

When: 10am - 11.30am.

Number of Rakats: Consists of upto 12 rakats. One may perform 2,4,6,8,10 or 12 rakats.

Benefits:

1. Hazrat Aisha (Radiallahu Anhaa) used to perform 8 rakats of salaaul Dhuhaa. She said that even if her parents arose from the grave, she would not leave Salaatul Dhuhaa to go and meet them.

2. Hazrat Abu Darda (R.A.) narrates that the Prophet (saw) said: Whosoever offers 2 rakats of chast salat cannot be counted among the indolent. One who offers 4 rakats is among the devotees. Those who offer 6 rakats at chasht are made immune from all the worries for the whole day. Those who offer 8 rakats are recordd among the pious. Once offering 12 rakats has his house built in Jannat. (Tibrani)

3. Anas (R.A.) reported that the Prophet (saw) said: who so prays the forenoon salat with 12 rakats, Allah will build for him a castle of gold in Jannat. (Ibn Maja, Tirmidhi)

4) Nafl Salat: Awwaabeen Salat.

When: This salat is performed after Maghrib Salat.

Number of rakats: The minimum number of rakats is 6 and the maimum is 20 rakats. Can be performed in 2 or 4 rakat units although 2 rakats are preferred. Some Ulema are of the opinion that the 2 rakats Maghrib Sunnah and 2 rakats of Maghrib Nafl can become part of the 6 rakats of Awwaabeen Salat.

Benefits: Hazrat Ammar bin Yasir (R.A.) says that the Prophet (saw) offered 6 rakats after Maghrib himself and said that whosoever offers 6 rakats after Maghrib will have all his sins forgiven even if they are as much as the foam on the ocean. (Tibrani).

5) Nafl Salat: Salaatul - Taubah

When: When the need arises, provided it is not performed during any on of the prohibited times.

Rakats: 2 rakats.

Benefits: Hazrat Ali (R.A.) narrates that "Hazrat Abu Bakr (R.A.) narrated to me that he heard the Prophet (saw) say: whoever commits a sin, and, then gets up, and performs Wudhu and offers Namaaz, and seeks the forgiveness of Allah, Allah in any case, forgives him. After it, the Prophet (saw) recited the verse of the Quran: "And those who, when they do an evil thing or wrong themselves, remember Allah and implore forgiveness for their sins-who forgiveth sin save Allah only? - and will not, knowlingly, repeat the wrong they did (3:135) (Tirmizi)

6) Nafl Salat: Salaatul Istikhaarah.

When: Performed at night just before going to bed.

Number of rakats: 2 rakats.

Benefits: Hazrat Saa-bin-Waqqas (R.A.) says that the Prophet (saw) has said: the goodness of man is that whenever he intends to do anything he should take the indications by Istikhara.

Method:

You shold offer 2 rakats salat and then, entreat Allah in these words;

" O Allah, I beg You for the good through Your knowledge and ability through Your power; I beg (Your favours) out of Your infinite bounty; for You have power and I have none, You know and I know not, and You are the great knower of the hidden things. O Allah if in your knowledge this matter [replace this matter with what you are seeking] is good for my religion, for my livelihooda and for the consequence of my affairs then ordain it (decree it) for me and make it easy for me and bless me therein; But if in Your knowledge [this matter] is bad for my religion, for my livelihood, and for the consequences of my affairs then turn it away from me and turn me away from it and ordain for me the good wherever it be, and cause me to be pleased with it."

7) Nafl Salat: Salaatul Hajaat (Prayer in times of want)

When: In time of need: Any permitted time.

Number of rakats: 2 rakats.

Benefits: This salat is performed when one is in need or in difficulty. The Prophet (saw) said that whoever is in need of something should make a perfect wudhu (i.e. obeserving all the rules and aadaab of wudhu) and perform 2 rakats salat. After the salat recite the praises of Allah and durood shareef. One may recite any amount and any formula of praises - Tahmeed and Tasbeeh - as well as any amount of durood sharief. Thereafter make a fervant dua for the fulfillment of the need;

Dua:

There is no God but Allah, the Clement and Generous, Glory be to Allah the Sustainer of the mighty throne. Praise be to Allah, the Sustainer of the Universe. I ask You (for words) which will guarentee Your mercy, actions which will make certain Your forgiveness, a supply of every virtue and freedom from every offence. Do not leave a sin of mine which You do not pardon, a care (worry) which You do not remove, or a want (need) that meets Your pleasure which You do not supply for me.

"Hazrat Baraida (R.A.) reported that the Prophet (saw) arose at dawn, called Hazrat Bilal (R.A.) and said: For what thing have you preceeded me in Jannat? I did not enter Jannat but heard your sound of footsteps in front of mine. He said "O Rasul of Allah, I never proclaim Azan except that I prayed 2 rakats and no impurity affeced me except that I made ablution at its advent: and I considered that is due from me 2 rakats for Allah" - Timizi.

11) Nafl Salat: Salaatul - Tasbeeh (For forgiveness of all sins)

When: Any permitted time.

Number of rakats: 4 rakats:

Benefits:

Our Beloved Prophet Mohammed (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam) said to his uncle (father’s brother) Sayyiduna Abbass (may Allah be pleased with him) Oh uncle shall I not give you Shall I not grant you Shall I not award you Shall I not do mercy on you When you do 10 things Allah will forgive your sins: of the future and of the past; new and old; those you have forgotten and those you did knowingly; big and small; hidden and revealed. Then he (Sallallaho Alihiwassallam) explained the taught the way to pray Salatul Tasbih and then said if you can pray this salah once a day, if you can not pray once a day then every Friday, and even if this is not possible then once a month and even if this is not possible then once a year and even if this is not possible then at least once in a lifetime (Abu’Dawood & Tirimzi)

How to perform Salatul Tasbih?This salaat (namaz) is offered in four rakat at a time and can be read in any part of the day and night besides Zawal and Sunrise and Sunset makrooh times, keeping in mind the forbidden times for performing Salat (namaaz). But is is preferred before Zuhr (Fatawa Alamgeeri)

Method:Goal is to recite above Tasbih 300 times in Four Rakah with the following method.

In the first rakaat, after reading Sana "Subhaana Kallahumma...", read the above tasbih 15 times.Now recite Aaoz "Aoozubillah...", Bismillah "Bismillah...", Then read sura Fatiha and a Surah or minimum of three small Ayayhs then read the tasbih 10 times again.

Go to ruku saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar), after reciting "Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem" minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Ruku.

Go to sajda again saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar) and after reciting "Subhaana Rabbiyal A'la" minimum of three times read the tasbih 10 times in Sajdah again.

Get up to begin 2nd rakat saying Takbeer (Allah Hoo Akbar).

Do rakah #2 in same fashion, but before reading Bismillah "Bismillah...", and Surah Fatiha, read the tasbih 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in first Rakat.

After second Sajdah of Second Rakat sit in Qaidah Oola (first sitting) read Attahiyat, Durood and Dua then get up for 3rd rakaat without saying Salam.

Begin third Rakat, just like the first Rakat, with Sana "Subhaana Kallahumma...", read the above tasbih 15 times. Follow the rest as you did in first Rakat untill you sit for Qaidah Akihra (last sitting) after second sajdah of fourth Rakah.

In Qaidah Akihra Attahiyat, Durood, Dua finish Salah with Salam.

Special notes for Salat-Ul-Tasbih:

1) Do not count loudly. It will break Salah

2) Do not count on fingers or by holding a Bead Tasbih in hand. It is Makruh.

3) You may count by pressing the fingers as a reminder. For example if you are in Ruku. You me press pinky of your right hand first for the first count, then the finger next to it for second count, then the middle finger for third count, following this method untill you reach the pinky of left hand will give you an exact count of ten. Use the same method in Qayam, Sajdah and Jalsa.

4) If missed a count then make it up in the next posture. For example if forgot to recite Tasbih after Surah in Qayam. Then you may recite Tasbish 20 times instead of 10 in Rukuh after "Subhaana Rabbiyal Azeem". Missed Tasbih cannot be recited in Qayam after ruku and Jalsa between Sajdah. If you missed the Tasbih in Ruku then recite 20 in the first Sajdah instead of the Qayam after rukuh. Similarly if missed the Tasbih in first Sajdah then do not make it up in Jalsa. Instead recite missed tasbih in the second Sajdah. If Tasbih has been missed in last sajdah of second or fourth Rakah then you can recite the missed ones before Attahiyat in Qaidah.

5) If you miss a wajib in Salah and have to do Sajdah Sahaw. You dont have to recite Tasbih in Sajdah sahoo, since the 300 count has been estalished. But if you had missed Tasbih in any of the postures and remeber it now. Then you may recite the missed Tasbih in Sajdah Sahaw now.

6) It is preferable to recite after Surah Fatiha Sura Takathuur in the first raka’, Surah Wal A’sr in the second raka’, Surah Kaferoon (qul ya aiyuhal Kafiroon) in the third and Surah Akhlas (Qul hu Allah-hu ahd) in the fourth raka’. If one does not remember these surah they can recite the ones they prefer.

Sunday, 5 September 2010

The reason for my blog post is because yesterday after Asr Namaaz's a Brother approached me and invited me to do Tarawih at a local community hall.

He said that it was a one off event that takes place every year and would be starting soon with lectures from speakers, then Iftar, followed by more talks and then Tarawih.

I said Insha'Allah, it sounded really interesting and I would try and make it.

As we ended the conversation he said, "Oh by the way, Tarawih will only be 8 Rak'ats because there will be speakers doing Tafseer, explaining the Rak'ats that were recited.

We salamed each other and left but that last comment made me uneasy... because I was left asking myself ...

... is 8 Rak'ats Tarawih acceptable?

So, today's blog is to seek your education on this matter, because, I have read the Quran and a lot of hadith books and nowhere have a found that 8 rak'ats is permissible.

So, apologies if I am not educated fully on this matter but I would like to discuss this topic to gain a better understanding.

I do not believe 8 Rak'ats is acceptable, it is not a Sunnah to do just eight rak'ats?

So, I am going to try to appeal to your inner self .. and ask those who do 8 rak'ats to stop!

Here is why...

During Ramadan we are meant to read the entire Quran at least once. Tarawih prayer is the reciting of the entire quran throughout the whole month.

Normally when we read the Quran we receive 10 good deeds per letter (Hasna). Now, during Ramadan the good deeds we receive are multiplied abundantly, Alhamdullilah.

This Dunya is like we are preparing for a journey, we are packing our bags (Full of good deeds).

When packing for a holiday we wouldn't pack an 8/20th of a shirt would we? So, why are we, as Muslims, only doing 8 rak'ats of 20 Tarawih?

So, next time you are attending Tarawih prayer at your local mosque, make the intention to do all 20 rak'ats, and when the 8th rak'at finishes wait a few seconds before standing up to leave and ask yourself "What can be more important to me than an extra 45 minutes to an hour of praying and receiving abundant reward and good deeds for Allah's sake?"

We take this Dunya for granted, as my Imam says every night, this could be OUR last Ramadan, so let us take the time, spare the time, for Allah's sake and show him that you want Paradise.

Saturday, 4 September 2010

Today's blog post, although it refers specifically to the East London Mosque, one of the BIGGEST Mosques in the UK, this message could also apply to a whole lot more mosques!

Give food to the Muslim Sisters who attend IFTAR!!

Last week a Muslim Sister attended the East London Mosque with a friend with the intention to do Iftar.

The brothers section is on the ground floor, and the Sisters section is upstairs on the 2nd floor.

When she came home, she said she was so disappointed she might be put off going ever again.

Why?

There was hardly any food for the Sisters. One sister had a plate of Broccoli only. Others just had chick peas.

It was so bad a Sister risked SINNING to go downstairs to the Brothers section to get food .. why? .. because the Brothers had so much food even their seconds were brimming with fullness!!

And when the Sister did return she'd been given more CHICK PEAS!!! The Sister I am referring too was given a plate of these chick peas, but she noticed there still weren't enough to go around as there were two sisters near her still without food, so, May Allah reward her profusely, she shared her plate of chick peas with the 2 sisters.

Seriously fellow Muslim Brothers, this is really shocking and DISAPPOINTING. You should be ASHAMED of yourselves, I have a lump in my throat just typing this.

Friday, 3 September 2010

Today's post is about my conversion to Islam, together with a brief history of my life to add a bit more to the post.

I was born into this Dunya in 1977 into a Christian family .. Well a family that lasted all of 4 months. My parents divorced, my dad didn't want me and my mother couldn't cope with looking after me.

So, my grandparents, also christian, (from my mum's side. They adopted her when she herself was a baby) took me in a raised me .. until the age of 3 when my grandfather passed away and my grandmother was deemed not well enough to look after me.

So, for 3 years I went from one foster home to another, until the age of 6 years old. My dad wanted me back. So, I went to live with my dad, his 2 kids from his new family and his new wife. However, the step-mum didn't like me, the kids (5 and 8) felt I was a threat and it just went downhill. I ended up as a punch bag for my father whenever he had a bad day at work. I also remember (we lived near the seaside) that my dad would take me to a shop and let me choose a bamboo stick with the fishing net at the end. They were really colourful and I always chose blue. Not that I got to use them ... my dad did .. on me .. when we got home he'd remove the fishing net, and then use the bamboo stick on me.

I think my teacher at school knew I was being abused, as she gave me the bible to read with a lovely message (that she'd wrote) at the front.

That was when I started reading the bible.

During the age of 7 years old, my father dropped me off at a children's home and said he'd pop by now and then to see me. I wasn't sure what was going on, but 2 things came of it. I never saw my father again and I never got beat again.

The next 10 years of my life I spent in this children's home. And I have to say it was quite cool having loads of "Aunt's" looking after me. However, there were a few times when I was still young when I would get beat (in a sense) by some of the staff. I didn't understand at first, it was only when I was in my teens and witnessed it happen to the then youngsters. Some staff members would provoke the children (who were from broken homes, or had ADD), and then spend the next hour restraining them. Yeah, some youngsters needed to be restrained but being there a few years I learnt that some staff would come into work with a chip on their shoulders and target children. There wasn't much that I could do until when I was about 14/15 and thankfully it stopped and for the last few years in the children's home I was like a big brother to all the children at the home and the staff had a lot of respect for me.

All throughout this time I continued to read the Bible, and as I got older I became to understand it better and better .. but, I just didn't feel a connection to it. I believed in God, but the Bible just ... did not feel right .. there was something missing. So, around 15/16 I stopped reading the Bible, but I "knew" there was a God, and that we were all created for a purpose, but I believed that it would come to me as I was older... the answer .. that all I needed to do was "wait".

At the age of 17 years old I took social services to Court. Nothing bad, I just wanted my own Independence and sought to be released as their responsibility. At around the same time my grandmother died. At the same time my mother came back on the scene. My grandmother had let her inheritance to me, but my mum wanted it. I didn't want to fight her, so I allowed he to take want she wanted, she disappeared again, and I still had enough to be able to set up renting a place with nice furniture.

Despite my grades at school not being too good, I ended up in an accountancy firm. One of the Partners took me in as a filing clerk, and I've never left, working my way up.

Anyway, throughout my 20's .. I did exactly what I mentioned above .. I waited .. for the true message from God. But, I did it .. literally .. I kept to myself, got home from work every night and sat in front of the TV... waiting for the message of God to land on my lap. I did that for 8 years.

By the time I was approaching 30 I realised my life was passing before my eyes and that I should go out there and FIND THE TRUTH.

At around the age of 25, a Muslim woman joined the firm. This was my first encounter with a Muslim. I was curious as to why she wore something on her head, but never approached her. It was only when I was 28 and she moved into my team (I was her Supervisor), that we got talking ... about Islam and The Prophet (saw). She lent me some books, but they were more about the spiritual side of Islam and although very nice and comforting, they were out of my league and I didn't really understand. So, I left it. But it kept niggling at the back of my mind. So, one day when we were talking I asked her more about her religion and she talked, with a lot of passion, about Muhammed (saw), and I realised that I was already living my life trying to strive for those values that he himself had lived. So, she gave me a book about his life and Sunnah.

AND BAM! The connection hit me so hard. I cried so hard, this man, who I had never met, was my inspiration. I had spent my entire life dealing with people with evil in their hearts that I'd given up on people, just wanting to keep to myself.

The more I read about The Prophet (saw) the connection got stronger and stronger.

I was given a Quran too but I couldn't read it, and it just ended up on my mantelpiece. However, I met the Sister's 5 brothers and they talked about Islam with me and gave me a translated Quran.

At the age of 30, in February 2008, along with 3 of these brothers, I attended a Mosque and took my Shahadah.

I haven't looked back since, Alhamdullilah Islam is a religion of Peace, and love and mercy. I try to take on as many SUnnah's as I can, and Insha'Allah I strive every day to meet The Prophet (saw) in Jannah.

Monday, 30 August 2010

The reason for today's blog post is because a few days ago a Muslim brother tweeted the following message in reply to somebody;

"There is no such thing as a NON-ISLAMIC MUSLIM!"

Well I beg to differ.

That comment has played on my mind for a few days ... well, because ... I believe I work with a Non-Islamic Muslim.

She is a born Muslim. However, these are her views;

She says that if I even suggest to her that she wear Hijab she will kill me. In fact, she believes Muslim men should lead by example and wear Hijab, and then she'll consider it.

She says that if she wants to wear a mini skirt at work (which she does, or tight pants) and look pretty in front of others then that is her right to do so.

She does not pray because she does not need to as she has not suffered hardships, and has always had everything she's wanted.

She does not fast during Ramadan because she is not overweight and already maintains a controlled diet of "5-a-day fruit and veg". With regards to charity, she believes it is the governments responsibility to provide for the citizens of their country.